"Please let her be alright," Branch whispered hanging his head to look down at the ground as he waited for any news on his friend. She had been with the doctor a long time and by now he was sure the whole village knew something had happened to her and that somehow, he had would have something to do with it. Even Peppy had not been able to look the young troll in the eyes since he arrived, Branch was sure he was upset with him.

"My Poppy is a fighter and will be alright," Peppy said softly still not looking at the young troll "she has to be."

Branch wanted to say something, but he held himself back too afraid that his tears that was stinging his eyes would fall. He closed his eyes quickly trying to hide them because his aunt had scolded him many times about how crying and that it made him look even more pathetic then he already was.

The two trolls sat in silence until the doctor came walking towards "Poppy lost a lot of blood but she is stable and we continue to watch her for the next couple of days," she explained giving them both a tiny smile as she spoke "you may go back and see her now."

Peppy thanked the doctor before heading back to see his daughter, Branch stayed back allowing Peppy some time alone with her. Branch watched from a distance as Peppy gently picked up her hand and held it close to his chest. From his spot Branch could see how pale Poppy was, she was no longer her bright pink color but an extremely off pink shade. It hurt him to see her like that, he wished she would have listened to him and just ran for it. She should have left him to his own fate, but he knew that she would never be able to forgive herself if anything happened to him. Peppy turned back to Branch and gave him a quick head letting the young troll it was okay to come in and visit with her. Branch slowly walked in and took a seat next to Poppy's bedside.

"Branch I am going to run back to the pod fast to grab a few things that I know Poppy will love to see when she wakes up," Peppy said calmly as he walked towards the door "I will be right back."

"Alright," Branch replied in a half whisper feeling a slight relief that the older troll was now talking to him.

Once Branch was alone with Poppy... "What were you thinking?" Branch asked tenderly caressing her cheek "I don't know what I would do if I lost you too."

Branch then leaned forward placing a gentle kiss on her forehead and whispering, "You're my only friend."

Just as Branch sat back down beside Poppy's bed her group of friends appeared "What are you doing here?" one of them asked in a harsh tone.

"Well I..." Branch started to say but he was cut off before he could finish whatever he was going to say.

"You can leave," her friend said, "her REAL friends are here now."

"Oh," Branch whispered slowly getting up not really wanting to leave her side, but he knew her friends were uncomfortable with him around let alone the same room. "Sorry."

"He's probably the reason she got hurt to begin with," he heard one of them said out loud as he walked past them "he probably attacked her just like Creek said he was going to do."

Branch ignored their words because he knew they would only believe wanted to and them and everyone he was the short-tempered crazy troll that would attack them at any second. Yet in the few years that he had been a part of their lives he never attacked anyone. Everyone was so quick to judge and make fun of him instead, they never took the chance to get to know him at all. They were all too busy laughing at him whenever he showed up to school covered in the many bruises from his aunt always because of much anger and hatred she had for him. They had no idea what it felt like hearing them laugh at him whenever he had a new mark on his face. He remembered one time his aunt was angry with him for asking Creek to leave him alone that she picked up her prized vase and used it to hit his right in the face. Then she got even more angry at him when it broke, and she made him pick every single piece before she allowed him to clean up his face.

"You're no good for her," he heard her tall blue friend say, "she always gets hurt whenever she's around you."

"I would never hurt Poppy," he said turning back to face them "we were attacked, and I told her to leave but she came back."

Poppy's friends looked at each other not sure of what to say to him "When are you going to stop lying?" Creek said shoving hard into Branch as he went join his friends in Poppy's room "You know very well that you lost control of your temper and attacked her. Face it Branch you just can't be trusted."

"You don't know anything Creek!" Branch snapped feeling his face go hot with anger knowing this was exactly what his cousin wanted, to show them that he was short tempered. Branch let out a heavy sigh knowing that no matter what he said he was still going to be the bad guy.

Creek frowned before pointing out "Then why do things like this only happen when no one is around?"

"I don't know," Branch whispered lowering his head wishing he had the answer "Poppy is my friend and that means more to me than you'll ever know."

Branch's words angered Creek and it took all his strength to hold himself back from going after his cousin in front of his friends, but Creek need everyone to see that Branch was the bad guy here not him. "You honestly think that she wants to your friend?" the purple troll asked "She's only your friend because she feels sorry for you. Bet you didn't know that she talks about you behind your back just like everyone else. I mean you don't even want to know half the things she says to me about you to me."

Creek then proceeded to list off many hurtful things that Branch knew Poppy would never say because of kind-hearted she was. "STOP LYING CREEK!" he hissed feeling his hands ball into fists.

"I really wish I was lying," Creek replied with smug look on his face and a shrug "but I'm really not."

Branch quickly turned to leave but Creek grabbed him by the arm to stop him from moving which triggered Branch's reaction and punch his cousin right in the face causing him to fall backwards cupping his nose. Although it was clear that Creek deserved what had happened to him everyone rushed to his side.

"Creek are you alright?" they asked helping the purple troll back to his feet.

"Just get out of here!" Creek snapped "Nobody wants you around but before you leave, I think you should hear this."

Creek then pulled out a tiny recording bug and pushed the play back button, almost immediately of what sounded like Poppy's voice could be heard laughing and saying very hurtful things about Branch.

"That's not Poppy," Branch said softly as he slowly backed away from the others "she would never say any of that."

"You don't know her like we do," Creek said smugly before turning back to his friends "right guys?"

Though the others looked reluctant to answer they all nodded in agreement with Creek. Branch could feel his heart sinking in his chest "You're lying," he whispered trying the hide the hurt in his voice as he turned to leave. As he made his way outside the young grey troll let out a heavy sigh knowing that Poppy would never say anything like that but then how did Creek have a recording of her saying things about him. "Poppy is your friend," he told himself "and she would never say things like that."

Outside the rain was coming down hard and before Branch had a chance to get very far a strong force from behind shoved him hard causing the young troll to fall forward into a freshly formed mud puddle. Slowly getting to his knees he could hear his cousin's laughter through the heavy rain, he knew Creek had pushed him so that he would have a reason to fight back but Branch decided to be the bigger troll and ignore him. Standing up all covered in mud feeling his anger running through his veins but choosing to walk away. Creek frowned when he saw that his cousin wasn't going to fight back because what was the fun if it wasn't going to upset your target and make him lash out at you?

"Poppy only talked to you in the first place was because she was dared to!" Creek shouted from behind "She said that you were the ugliest color troll that she has ever seen and don't even get me started on she has said about that marked up face of yours!"

Branch stopped and slowly brought his hand up to the side of his face where it was still tender from Archer and his gang, his face never really had a chance to heal because no one let it have a chance to. The only time it had fully healed was when he ran away for those five months and it had felt good to wake up and not feel any kind of pain. With Branch deep in thought this gave Creek a chance to get closer to his cousin then without warning he picked up a large stone and used it to slam across Branch's already tender cheek. Branch quickly cupped the side of his face feeling his hand becoming sticky from Creek reopening the split Buck had given him. As a defense action Branch used his other hand shove his cousin back causing him to now fall in the mud, with Creek on the ground Branch quickly ran off in the direction of Poppy and Peppy's pod. Just as the Pod came into view the group of bullies stepped out in front of him... "No please," he whispered slowly backing away from them. Fear and panic quickly started in the young troll; he knew they were going to hurt him; he could see it in their eyes.

"Grab him," Archer said calmly as his gang closed in on their target.